Vibracoustic

Darmstadt, 10. September 2018 |

Lightweight engine mount: less weight, maximum performance and comfort

Considering ever stricter emission standards as well as trends like electrification of the drivetrain, reducing the overall weight of vehicles becomes an essential challenge for the automotive industry. To face this challenge, Vibracoustic offers a lightweight solution for engine mounts, using a thermoplastic housing instead of a die-cast housing. Compared to a conventional steel application, the component is 40% lighter but still provides the same level of performance and driving comfort.

Traditional engine mounts consist of an engine support arm which transfers the power from the engine to an isolation element made of rubber and a body-side mount. Vibracoustic replaces the steel housing of the damping element by improved glass-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic. Using the so-called Rubover technology, the thermoplastic is injected directly onto a previously vulcanized elastomer component. This ensures a firm bond without further assembly. Compared to a steel housing, the weight can be reduced by 40%.

While reducing the weight significantly, the lightweight engine mount is still meeting all requirements relating to temperature and mechanical stress associated with use in the engine compartment and is applicable for mass production. In contrast to traditional homogeneous materials such as steel or aluminium, with fiber-reinforced plastic, the quantity, distribution and orientation of the fibers have a significant effect on design, strength, and ultimately also on the cost of the product. With its comprehensive production experience, Vibracoustic can actively influence performance criteria’s already in the simulation and design phase and can anticipate behaviour at component level.

Engine mounts carry out their job over the entire lifetime of a vehicle. While stationary, they bear the static weight of the engine. On start-up, the mounts reduce the noise of the combustion engine, isolate low-frequency vibrations and support the drive torques. During driving, the mounts dampen vibrations caused by uneven road conditions. During braking and cornering, they ensure that the dead weight of the engine does not impact driving dynamics. Even in the event of a crash, the mounts must keep the engine stable in position.

With a unique portfolio of engine mounts, Vibracoustic has the right solution for every engine-specific requirement. This ranges from conventional rubber mounts and hydraulic engine mounts to switchable engine mounts. With 50 million engine mounts produced each year, Vibracoustic is the global market leader and ensures that unwanted noises and vibrations from the powertrain do not reach the passengers.

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